Site and Background: CERiA (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia): Since its establishment in 2007, CERiA has been the leading center in Malaysia conducting HIV-related research in various fields including epidemiology, social-behavioral, clinical and basic science. This site will provide training opportunity in HIV and related infections. Since its establishment, CERiA has grown from a small research unit conducting research that is relevant to Malaysia to a center of international renown.

The Centre collaborates with leading researchers and receives students from the region, Australia, Europe and the USA. As a measure of its international standing, CERiA continues to receive research funding support from key international organizations such as the NIH, amfAR and The World Bank. It was invited by the International AIDS Society (IAS) to host a major international scientific conference in HIV in 2013 which attracted approximately 5,000 HIV scientists to Kuala Lumpur.

Prof. Rick Altice, Yale University and Prof Adeeba Kamarulzaman, University of Malaya, Malaysia have been colleagues since 2007. Since then, the team from Yale and UM have established a joint research and training program, with one of the significant outcomes of this collaboration being Project HARAPAN. In partnership with the AIDS Program, Yale University, CERiA completed Project HARAPAN, which was funded by the National Institute of Health, USA. The specific aims of this study were to develop and evaluate innovative models of care for HIV+ prisoners transitioning from the prison to the community setting. The outcomes from this study helped to inform the approach in Malaysia and elsewhere about the most effective strategies for improving access to HIV care and health outcomes among HIV+ IDUs and released prisoners. CERiA’s partnership in Yale has resulted in over 35 co-authored publications.

One of the major ongoing projects jointly conducted by Yale and CERiA is ‘Training in Drug Abuse & HIV Prevention for Female & Transgender Sex Workers’ funded by NIDA. This 5-yr project involves estimating prevalence of HIV and STI among F/TGSW in Malaysia, assess sexual and drug risk behaviors, and determine feasibility of behavioral and biomedical approaches to HIV and substance use prevention. The study will adapt behavioral and biomedical interventions to address co-occurring sexual and drug risk behaviors among F/TGSW in Malaysia.

In the last 9 years, CERiA has trained more than 25 local and international students. Almost all of them have developed independent research programs.

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